1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for the masking of a portion of an object while cleaning another portion thereof and more particularly to a device for masking or protecting a tire rim while applying a rubber protectant to a tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has become a common practice for the automobile appearance enthusiast to apply a liquid protectant to the rubber and vinyl exterior and dashboard portions of the vehicle. The liquid protectant serves to enhance the appearance of the vehicle and prolongs the lifetime of the rubber and/or vinyl surface to which it is applied. The typical liquid protectant is a light hydrocarbon compound and may currently be found in automotive stores under the trademark "ARMORALL", a trademark of the McKesson Corporation, Irvine, Calif.
A popular method for the application of the liquid protectant is from a spray bottle onto the surface to be protected. While this application method is efficient in placing a limited amount of the protectant over a broad area, it nevertheless creates a problem of overspray. That is, spraying the protectant on undesired surfaces, such as the metal tire rim when spraying the rubber tires. The evaporation of the lighter hydrocarbons from the protectant leaves an undesired oily residue on such surfaces, whereby such surfaces must be cleaned of the oily residue or, in many cases, cleaned again.
To solve the overspray problem as related to the cleaning of tires, the inventors hereof have developed a tire rim protector which masks the tire rim during the application of the protectant. The inventors are aware of no prior art which solves this problem.